Arunachal capital faces flooded highways, load shedding, water woes; Mayor calls for solutions

The capital city of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar, is grappling with a severe crisis as flooded highways, frequent load shedding, and disrupted water supply have left residents facing numerous hardships. Mayor Tamme Phassang chaired a vital meeting with key officials, including the Deputy Commissioner, highway engineers, SP, and other bureaucrats to address the pressing issues.

The traffic situation in Itanagar and Naharlagun is dire, with the 10 km stretch between the two cities taking two to three hours during working days. Despite the opening of the Borum-helipad bridge road intended to ease congestion, the situation has not improved significantly. There is a growing demand for the early opening of the railway bridge at Lekhi to alleviate traffic woes.

The constant traffic congestion in Naharlagun has left residents deeply frustrated with the government's response. Heavy rains have wreaked havoc, damaging roads and power infrastructure, while rivers surrounding the capital have flooded, leaving cars submerged and others forced onto pedestrian bridges.

Mayor Tamme Phassang addressed the media, highlighting the problems faced by the general public in the capital complex, including traffic congestion, disrupted water supply due to landslides affecting the Poma water line, and continuous load shedding. He emphasized that every citizen has the right to access good roads, education, health, water supply, and power.

During the meeting, Mayor Phassang apprised the Chief and Deputy Chief Ministers of the prevailing challenges and received assurances that a separate SP for traffic management would be deployed in the capital to address congestion. He urged highway authorities to expedite repairs on the National Highway within the state capital, addressing the repeated plea of the general public. The Mayor also appealed to the PHED department to restore the water supply system promptly and provide water through tankers free of cost to the denizens. Additionally, he urged the Power department to resolve the power supply issues without further delay and replace decade-old electric poles with powerful transformers to meet the increasing demands of the growing population in the state capital.